Apologies
by SethiaViaraDiterot
Summary: Georgie and Dillon have an attack of conscience. Takes place after Dillon calls her clueless. Song is "Broken" by Seether.


This is my first fanfiction, so be gentle. I hope you enjoy it. Of course, I don't own any of these characters, nor do I make money off of this. Completed.  
  
***** A million thoughts were running through Dillon's mind. The loudest was "Why did I say those things?" He knew Georgie was being blind, but that was her problem. He had no right to insult her like that in her own home. Even if he was right. He sighed and resigned himself to his mistake as he made his way into the Quartermaine home.  
  
"...and furthermore, Kristina is my child and none of you are in any position to deny me my rights!"  
  
Ah, the familiar bickering.  
  
"You're a psychopathic murderer, you have no rights."  
  
Edward's face was a bit flushed. They must have been at it for a while now, he thought.  
  
"Please, Alexis, this is what's best for Kristina. Don't you see that?"  
  
"And what kind of twisted logic is that, Skye?"  
  
"We will take good care of her, won't we?"  
  
"Oh yeah, because this family is perfect to surround a baby with", Dillon said to himself. He'd only been there a short while, but he knew that this was one frighteningly dysfunctional family.  
  
"You're not even fit to take care of yourself, drunk." A.J. added.  
  
"Oh you're one to talk young man".  
  
Shaking his head, Dillon snuck quietly past them to avoid becoming a new target to vent at. He ascended the stairs to find his room. He was still getting used to this house and it's shouts of "Money." In his generously sized room, he looked around for a moment, still trying to imagine this place as home. The room was virtually empty, his belongings still packed except for his movies which were scattered all over the floor. He plopped down on his bed, closed his eyes, and breathed in deeply as his mind started to wonder once again. "Why did I have to say those things? Now she won't even want to talk to me." He shook his head, half believing it would help. He grabbed the remote to his stereo and started playing some music. Some Seether was just what he needed to think.  
  
"Why can't Georgie see that Lucas is no good for her? He's not worth even the time to consider it. She's just as hardheaded as Maxie sometimes. I just don't understand it. She's such a smart, sweet person. Lucas is such a freakin' moron. He really deserves Maxie, and for everyone's sake, I hope he gets her. God, Georgie's...she's just better than all this. If only there was something I could say to make her realize that she is above the rest. She just wants to fit in, but she doesn't realize that she's beautiful just the way she is. She doesn't need them. Especially Lucas."  
  
He grabbed a pillow and flung it at the door in frustration, and covered his face in his hands. Before he sunk too far into his depression, there came a knock at the door.  
  
"Yes?" Dillon called out in a tone of mock greeting.  
  
"Hey." Emily answered from behind the door.  
  
Dillon sat up, a bit shocked. "Come on in Emily."  
  
"Hi. I saw you sneak past the family a little bit ago and from what I saw, you seemed a little upset. I was wondering if anything was wrong, or if you needed to talk to someone."  
  
Dillon smiled and motioned for her to sit down. "You're probably the only one in this house that's safe to talk to. The rest are like trying to talk to mental patients, which I suppose they are."  
  
Emily nodded her head knowingly. He had no idea, she thought.  
  
"You're quite observant Emily. You're right, there are a couple things bothering me."  
  
"Does it have to do with the family, because I know in time they'll get used to you. They're not all bad."  
  
"Actually it's not the family surprisingly, though they can be a headache sometimes, except for you, Ned, and Lila of course."  
  
"So what's bugging you? School? I know, it's got to be girl related. These things always are". She smiled at him.  
  
"Right again Em. How do you stay so clear headed in this house?"  
  
"It's not easy. Hmmm, a girl... does it have anything to do with that Jones girl you've been hanging out with lately."  
  
"Yeah, Georgie. Actually her, her sister and Lucas." He nearly spat out the last name like it was bad milk.  
  
"Ah yes, Felicia's daughter. She seems like a sweet  
  
girl. What kind of trouble have they been giving you?"  
  
"It's not really what they've done to me, it's just...well today me and Georgie had a little argument."  
  
A little argument? He hated to think how he'd feel after a big one. He silently wished he'd never have to find out.  
  
"Go on? What was it about?"  
  
"Well, Georgie is friends with Lucas. She also happens to be obsessed him, God knows why. He's like her cousin or something, I don't know how that works, but Georgie has this dream in her mind that one day Lucas will fall in love with her. The problem with that is he's totally into her sister, Maxie, but Georgie still thinks that one-day he'll wake up and realize that she's the one he wants. Lucas, however, is a complete moron and all he sees is Maxie. Georgie doesn't even show up on his radar."  
  
Emily is sitting, head resting on her hand, listening intently to Dillon. Now he knew who to confide in when he needed help. She actually listened and it made him feel good knowing that she cared.  
  
"I've tried talking to her. I've told her that she's only going to get her heart broken again and again, but she won't listen. She shuts the idea out even if it's obvious she's not going to win him over. I hate seeing her so torn, but I can't find a way to help her. He's not worth it and it's driving me crazy. Today we were talking and I kind of lost my temper a bit as she was going on and on about Lucas. I called her clueless and she didn't like it, needless to say. So here I am. I can't even talk to her and apologize because she's grounded. I have no clue what to do and all I've been thinking about is what an idiot I am for going off on her."  
  
He sighed and hung his head down; the memory still had its vivid power. He fought the urge to beat himself up again.  
  
"Quite a predicament you have there, Dillon."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
"Well, as much as we may want to sometimes, we can't make someone stop feeling for another person, even if we think it's right. That's something they have to decide on their own. Georgie may have to get her heart bruised before she realizes the truth."  
  
Dillon winced at the thought of Georgie in pain courtesy of Lucas. He wanted nothing more than to protect her from it.  
  
"If Lucas is the way you describe, eventually she'll have to understand that he's not the one. But Dillon, I think you're going to be a big part of that."  
  
He looked up at her puzzled. "Why do you say that?"  
  
"Well it's obvious that you care about her, probably more than you'd like to admit. You'll be there the whole way as she struggles to find the truth. That kind of thing can be very difficult, but you'll be there to help her and make it more bearable. Even if it doesn't seem like it, she needs you."  
  
Dillon had to smile. It was the most positive thought to cross his mind all day. Maybe he wasn't as helpless as he thought.  
  
"I hope you're right. You usually are, so I'll take that as a good indication."  
  
She smiled and took his hand.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Everything works out for the best. Eventually. I've seen enough drama in this house to realize that. Reminds me, I should probably head back downstairs. I'm sure there's a war to mediate."  
  
"Emily: superhero of the Quartermaines. I don't know what this family would do without you."  
  
Dillon noticed a hint of sadness cross her face as she smiled, but it quickly disappeared so he decided not to ask about it.  
  
"I'm glad I could help you out. Good luck and remember, life gets hectic, but you just have to trust that it'll be ok if you do the right thing."  
  
"Thanks Emily. I really appreciate you coming here. It's nice to see a caring face for a change in this house."  
  
She laughed and waved her goodbye as she headed out the door, closing it behind her. He fell back unto his bed, but his heart was a bit lighter than before. Emily was definitely a change of pattern in this family. He could understand how everyone loved her. Even Edward, the tyrant of the family. He turned up the radio a bit and started working through things to say once he got a chance to talk to Georgie again. He'd right his wrongs and try to remember to keep his head from then on. As much as he didn't like it, it was true; Georgie had to come to her own conclusions. And Dillon would be there when she did. Maybe she'd even decide that he was worth a look. Maybe. But now he was just thinking about the present. Don't count your chickens... He smiled and retreated into the world of his mind. His little picture of Georgie carved in there reminding him there was something to look forward to.  
  
*At the Jones' residence*  
  
Georgie and Maxie are sitting on the couch in the afternoon. Georgie is still a bit upset about Dillon's comments, but she has other things on her mind for the moment. Maxie is sitting there, lost in thought, tears right behind her eyes.  
  
"At least Dillon took the link off before too many people got to see it."  
  
"It doesn't matter. Everyone knows about it already. I'm the school slut now, thanks to Kyle's jerk friends."  
  
Georgie shook her head. When was Maxie going to realize that is was Kyle? He was the jerk, and his friends were only little groupies along for the ride. As much as she felt bad for Maxie for what happened, there was still a part of her that blamed Maxie. Not just for being so stupid and trusting Kyle again, but for not seeing the obvious. What did Maxie expect. She was going to his party for the sole purpose of sleeping with Kyle, just to get a prom date and some status. That wouldn't exactly cause one to think of her as virtuous. If she didn't want to be seen as a skank, she shouldn't have been acting like one. As mad as Georgie was, she still didn't want Maxie to have to go through this. It wasn't right, no matter how stupid her sister was. Georgie tried to comfort her and put her arm around her, but Maxie pushed it away.  
  
"Just leave me alone Georgie. I don't need your sympathy. You're always attacking Kyle, even though he's the only one that has been good to me through this."  
  
"Maxie, he's not who you think he is. He's..."  
  
"Don't pretend you know him. You weren't there that night. You haven't seen how sweet he is. We're going to get through this and then he's going to take me to prom."  
  
"Whatever Maxie."  
  
She could only be nice to a certain point. Before she said something to make it worse, Georgie got up and left Maxie there to her delusion. She made her way to the kitchen with the thought of juice in her mind. Arguing made her quite thirsty, she observed. As she entered the kitchen, she saw Mac sitting down staring at a plate of leftovers. Georgie thought he was in his room, but she guessed she just didn't hear him. When he realized Georgie was standing there, Mac turned around.  
  
"Hey Georgie."  
  
"Hey. Wow, you look really worn. No offense."  
  
He was unphased. She wasn't sure he really knew she was there.  
  
"I've aged 10 years recently." He let out a powerful sigh. "This was quite a catastrophic day. I still can't believe Maxie could do something like that."  
  
"It's really not like her. She's no Miss Rational America, but she usually has some common sense. She just let teenage issues get the best of her."  
  
Georgie pulled up a chair and sat next to Mac. Her juice could wait.  
  
"It makes me think, 'What will happen next time?'" "Well, we'll have to hope there is no next time."  
  
"I pray you're right. I just...I don't know how to handle these things."  
  
"In my humble opinion, I think you did a good job, as best as you could see to do. There's not much you could have done anyway. You know Maxie."  
  
"Exactly. What if next time she ends up pregnant?"  
  
"Whoa, let's not get all hypothetical here. It won't help. Have a little faith in her. Everyone makes mistakes."  
  
"I know, Georgie. It's just hard to accept that there's so much about you guys' lives that I don't know about. And that's never going to change. I just hope your mother and I have made a difference. There's only so much we can do now. I hate feeling so helpless and un-needed. I love you and your sister with all my heart."  
  
"I know. And Maxie does too. Look, you and mom have done everything in your power to make sure me and Maxie are safe, loved, and taken care of. No parent is perfect. Definitely no child is. We've trusted you to raise us, and now you have to trust us to use the knowledge you've given us to do the right things. You can't lock us in a box, even though I'm sure you'd like to. Even if you could, it wouldn't help us. Making mistakes and wrong choices are important, as you must know. It makes us strong and more capable of handling what life throws at us. So don't freak out so much. We'll be ok, don't worry."  
  
Georgie leans forward to hug Mac. They stay like that for a good while, both thinking about the day's events and the future they hoped to see. Mac has Maxie as a successful woman living her dreams, and Georgie has Maxie waking up to face reality. Both end content that things will work out. Mac realizes how special Georgie is. She's smarter that he thinks he gives her credit for.  
  
"I don't know what I'd do without you Georgie. You know, sometimes your insight surpasses your age."  
  
"I don't know about that, but I do have a lot of time to... ponder. I'm not exactly the princess of popularity, you know. And you grounding me isn't helping matters."  
  
Mac was silent for a moment, thinking about what she said. He really shouldn't have came down on Georgie like that. Sure she lied, but she was doing it to help her sister. And it's not like she made a habit of it. He had to face the facts; teens sometimes lie. He had to be grateful that Georgie was a good one.  
  
"I suppose I was a bit rash. I was just so upset that you would lie to my face like that."  
  
"Maxie didn't give me much choice. She would have done it anyway."  
  
"I know. It's unfair to punish you because your sister made a mistake. Even if was a huge one."  
  
"Does that mean..."  
  
Mac gave her a smile. "I suppose you don't have to be grounded anymore."  
  
"Yes!" Georgie let out a girlish squeal and threw her arms around Mac.  
  
"Of course you still have to make up for it. You'll have chores to do every night, but you can go hang out with your friends."  
  
"Thank you so much! I promise I won't get in trouble. I love you!" Her smile couldn't get any bigger. The world wasn't so cruel after all, she thought.  
  
"So can I go to the Quartermaine's?"  
  
"You want to visit that Dillon kid right?"  
  
"I have some things I need to tell him."  
  
"All right. Just... be careful will you?"  
  
"I will, don't worry."  
  
"I love you Georgie."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
They hugged once more before she skipped out of the house. She felt good knowing that Maxie couldn't go out still, as evil as that made her. She pushed Maxie out of her mind though, and began to think of what to say to Dillon. She hoped he was home.  
  
*Back in Dillon's room*  
  
Dillon is lying down once again. He just finished unpacking and arranging his room, having nothing better to do. There were now movie posters and a wide variety of artwork on his once barren walls. Everywhere was evidence of his many travels. Little statues, bottles, glass creations, pictures, figures, and other things he had collected from across the globe. A few tapestries were hung here and there, along side the posters. The closet was now full of clothing and the bookcase housed his movies as well as his smaller collection of books. His CD's were lying on a shelf beside his stereo. His computer was on a big desk on one side of the room, surrounded by little decorations and photographs. Now the furniture in the room didn't look so intimidating. The dark, rich wood and elaborate carvings only added to the feel of the room, giving the rest of his belongings a classier, more mature appearance, which he discovered he found quite appealing. The dark, soft carpet accented the oriental inspired bedspread, which in turn accented the long, heavy drapes. He had lit several candles, which he loved, and the only other light was from the small hanging glass lamp off in one of the corners. The room wasn't dark, but instead the usually harsh main light was replaced with a quieter, more comforting one. Outside the sun was beginning to set and the light coming in through the small crack in the drapes was a beautiful deep red that added emotion to the room. Dillon just admired the scene for a while, breathing in the soothing gardenia of the candles and being surrounded by the music playing on his stereo. After a while he heard a knock at the door.  
  
Upset at being interrupted he shouted, "Edward, if it's you, I will not turn my music down. Go somewhere else, God knows this house is big enough."  
  
"Dillon, it's me.Georgie."  
  
He practically jumped out of bed. "What? What is she doing here? Who cares, she's here!" he thought. His heart was racing already and he nearly ran to the door. He opened it, trying to hide his overwhelming excitement.  
  
"Oh, hey Georgie. What's up?"  
  
"I was hoping we could talk for a while, if you don't mind of course. If you don't want to talk to me, I'll understand."  
  
She looked so small in her timid request. He smiled.  
  
"No, of course it's ok. Uh, come in."  
  
She did and they sat on the edge of his bed. Both of them were showing signs of fear, but were filled with so many words they could hardly contain it.  
  
"I thought you were grounded."  
  
"Well, I talked to Mac and he decided to lift my punishment."  
  
"So, you came to see me?"  
  
The words were soft and hardly audible. He was pleasantly shocked to hear what she was saying, yet couldn't believe this was her destination of choice.  
  
"Of course."  
  
Little pins ran up his back for a second and he smiled shyly at her. Then he remembered earlier that day. After that previous conversation replayed in his mind, he felt guilty again.  
  
"Even after the way I went off on you earlier?"  
  
"Well, it's not like you were that far off. Even if I didn't want to admit it."  
  
Georgie had been thinking about this for a while. At first she tried to ignore what she had realized that day, but reality crept in like some disease removing the clouds from her eyes. She remembered all the times Lucas made it painfully clear that he wasn't, nor would ever be interested. Sure he kissed her, but once the shock and giddiness wore off, she realized what really happened. For a moment Lucas saw Georgie as something more; he saw her as Maxie. She could feel it in his kiss. He was there, but he wasn't. Then she realized that the kiss itself wasn't anywhere near the euphoria she had imagined so many times. When she realized there were no sparks, she knew that they both weren't there that day outside Kelly's. He was with Maxie and she was with a fantasy man who looked a lot like Lucas. Dillon was right; she had been just like Maxie. Now she understood why he went off. He must have felt like she did with Maxie so many times. That's when she knew she had to apologize.  
  
"You were exactly right. I was my sister. Down to the blind eyes toward the obvious."  
  
Dillon was blown back for a moment. He was the guilty one, and there she was apologizing. She was quite a girl.  
  
"No, no, you're nothing like your sister. You just didn't realize... you just wanted Lucas to like you so much. It's ok Georgie."  
  
"How could I have been so clueless? After watching my sister make obvious mistakes, and it took me so long...I'm supposed to be the smart one. But now I know, he doesn't want me, and he never will."  
  
Her voice began to quiver with the last line. She had never said it out loud before. It sunk in. She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes in an effort to kill the tears trying to form. Dillon put his arm around her and she leaned against him, still refusing to cry.  
  
"Georgie, don't worry. I know it hurts. Look, he's not worth it if he makes you feel so bad."  
  
Dillon's chest ached a bit seeing her so crushed. He could feel her body shaking in an attempt to stifle the sobs. All his frustration of before had faded. The topic of Lucas no longer made him angry. All he was thinking about was the beautiful girl beside him and how hurt she was. What could he do? At that moment he wanted nothing more than to kiss her and make all her pain go away. To make her forget Lucas ever existed. Instead, he brushed his hand along her hair. She was crying now. He did his best to calm her down, but decided to stay quiet. Once he could feel her breathing return to normal, he continued to hold her and stroke her hair. After a while he realized she was asleep. Her breathing was slow and deep, and her pulse was rhythmic once again. He looked down at her face. She never looked so young and pure. She even smelled it. He gently laid her down and sat beside her in a chair, watching her sleep as if it was the most beautiful sight in the world. And it was.  
  
The music from the radio floated into his ears as he sat watching Georgie sleep.  
  
"I wanted you to know  
  
I love the way you laugh  
  
I want to hold you high  
  
And steal your pain away"  
  
Finally, he thought, Georgie may actually have realized that her and Lucas were not meant to be. That was a start. He knew it would be some time before she actually started getting over him, but Dillon was glad she was aware now. He just had to pray that once the storm passed, he would be the one she would find. Since she first kissed him at Kelly's, he knew she was something. He didn't even see Maxie. He wondered how anyone could with Georgie there. What was Maxie? A pretty face? No, that's not what matters. Georgie had grabbed him by the proverbial throat that day, and he's never been able to shake her. Not that he'd ever want to. He was fully stuck on her, and he liked it that way.  
  
"I keep your photograph  
  
I know it serves me well  
  
I want to hold you high  
  
And steal your pain away"  
  
He never expected this. All his life being torn from place to place, his life had become a travel bag. But now... Georgie had given him roots to grow from. She was the only thing he had ever had keeping him somewhere. It was so new and scary to him. He didn't know if he could handle it. His peers were hard enough to deal with, but this was confusing. He didn't know how to do it right, and he wondered if he would be able to be all that Georgie needed.  
  
"Cuz I'm broken  
  
When I'm open  
  
And I don't feel like  
  
I am strong enough"  
  
He wanted so much to woo her. To sweep her off her feet and make her forget the name Lucas or Maxie. He knew this was only wishful thinking, but still the scene played in his mind. He realized something. After years of watching movies, living through their trials and emotions, he saw that he was in one now. Georgie was the beautiful damsel stuck with the flat villain who never loved her. Dillon was the suave hero who comes in and carries her out of that rut and treats her to life as it should be. They get their happily ever after. At least he was hoping. He had a feeling she wouldn't disappoint. Now he had to live up to this new role. Like in the movies, he would devote his life to making sure Georgie never wanted. He would fight for her. She found her way into his heart somehow, and now he didn't know if he could let her go.  
  
"Cuz I'm broken  
  
When I'm lonesome  
  
And I don't feel light  
  
When you're gone away"  
  
Now she will get over Lucas. The evil guy in the piece. Soon, Dillon hoped, she would let him rescue her. She would wake up to him. Lucas had lost his God status, and that was the first step. The ugly hurdle she couldn't get over on her journey to happiness. Dillon didn't know what would happen between Lucas and Maxie, but he didn't really care. He trusted Georgie and if she said she knew he was wrong for her, he believed her. However, he knew first hand how much the idea of it hurt her. He felt so helpless. In time, he knew she would get better. Each day it would be easier to face, and the unworthy Lucas would fade slowly from her thoughts and cares. He accepted they would be friends, but he made it his job to be sure that Georgie never had to think about Lucas as an option again. From now on, he would be the guy to be there for her. And he actually cared.  
  
"The worst is over now  
  
And we can breathe again  
  
I want to hold you high  
  
And steal your pain away"  
  
As he sat there watching her, he felt nothing else mattered. There were no obstacles, do difficulties. Only her. Beautiful, graceful, intelligent, strong. Who else could possibly compare? For the moment, they were alone in the world. If he weren't afraid of waking her, he'd kiss her cheek. What a fairytale it seemed to him. He could see them together for a long time. In fact, he couldn't see a time he wouldn't want her next to him. He thought of what they could do. Together.  
  
"There's so much left to learn  
  
And no one left to fight  
  
I want to hold you high  
  
And steal your pain away" 


End file.
